Nursery seat with music box



heet 1 2 Sheets-S j W5 .5 E 1 m awn m7 m J 1 My M w r 4, 1 z W/ W z 7 W z a H M. F. HARRIS NURSERY SEAT WITH MUSIC BQX Feb. 2, 1954 Filed Nov. 22, 1948 Feb. 2, 1954 M. F. HARRIS 2,667,802

NURSERY SEAT WITH MUSIC BOX Filed NOV. 22, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR,

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Patented Feb. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in a nursery seat for a baby or a childs .chair, and has particular reference to a nursery seat having resiliently spaced :apart seat members, whereby the baby may, by bouncing in the seat, cause relative movement of said seat members toward and from each other.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a nursery chair having resiliently spaced apart rigid seat members, one of said seat members carrying :a spring powered music "box, and means interconnecting said music box with the other of said seat members whereby when said seat parts are moved toward and from each other said music box will .be energized.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a toilet chair having a spring mounted seat member fixed to a base member and movable relative thereto, and a skirt depending from said seat member to overlap the upper portion of base member.

Other objects of said invention are simplicity and economy of construction, ease and efiiciency of operation, and adaptability for use with various types of nursery seats and child's chairs.

With these objects in view, as Well as other objects which will appear during the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevationalview of a babys nursery seat embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the nursery seat shown in Fig. 1, with some of the parts in section.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the nursery seat.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the nursery seat.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the chair base frame.

Fig. 6 is a front view of a modified form of the nursery seat constructed to be Jfitted on the standard size toilet seats.

Fig. '7 is a side view of the nursery seat shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a back view of the nursery seat detached from the toilet seat.

Fig. 9 is a front :elevationalview of further modified form of the nursery :seat wherein the chair proper is made of spring strip "metal.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the:nurseryseat shown in Fig. 9 with parts brokenaway.

downwardly into top member '22, serve to receive springs 28. Concentrically with recess 2%; is a hole 30 which extends through top 22.

A floating seat member 32 having a toilet seat 34 resting on corner springs '28 positioned in re cesses 26 and extending upwardly into recesses 36 formed in the underside of seat 3:3 is held against separation from top member 22 by bolts 38 which extend through springs 23 and seat member 22, hole '33 in top member Y22, and hole it in seat 34. Bolts .38 are provided with nuts 42 and are long enough to permit a limited amount of movement between the chair base and the seat member. A :sk'irt M is secured to the front and side edges of seat member 3:2 to extend about the upper portion of chair base 2b to prevent accidental pinching of the babys hands between the relatively moving parts of the chair. It will :be noted that skirt 44 is spaced apart from the body of the chair to permit free movement without rubbing the parts together.

The floating seat member has .a back member 43 provided with a panel 48. .Side arms 58 r are secured at their rear ends to back member 36 and to the front vertical posts :52 which are supported on the front corners of seat 35. The inner edge portions of arms 50 are longitudinally grooved at 5a to receive .a tongue 56 carried at the lower side of play table 58 for adjustment toward and from the child positioned on seat 3 1.

Seat 3% is provided at its lower side with two Ispaced apart parallel strips '60 which are notched to form grooves 62. The grooves 62 are open at the rear of the seat to receive the rim (it of the chamber 66 whereby the chamber may be slid into position in register with the toilet seat hole 68. fhis rear positioning of the chamber to and from the toilet seat is quite important since it may be accomplished without disturbing the child located on the seat.

The principal feature of this invention resides in the spring powered music box Hi of the well known rotating drum type having suitable means whereby the graduated tines of a steel comb are plucked and vibrated to produce tunes. This music box is fixed to the back panel 43 and is provided with a spring Winding stem 12 and adapted to be wound in but one direction. Rigidly attached to stem 12 is "a ratchet wheel 74 adapted to be actuated by a pawl 16 which is pivoted at It to lever arm which is pivotally carried by winding stem 12. An operating rod 82 pivoted at its lower end to a 'pin 83 carried by chair base .210 extends upwardly through an opening 80 formed through the outer free end of lever 80. A set collar 88 mounted on rod 82 intermediate pin 84 and lever arm 80 is set by screw 90. Carried on rod 82 between collar 88 and lever arm 80 is a spring 92 which normally supports the lever arm 80 in its lower operating position. When the floating seat 34 is moved up and down relative to chair base 20 by the action of the baby in the seat or for any other reason, the lever arm 80 will be operated to move pawl I6 to rotate ratchet wheel I4 and turn the winding stem 12 to energize and cause the music box to play. Should the spring motor become completely wound then lever 80 can not be moved and as the operating rod 82 slides through opening 86 the spring 92 will be compressed without any damage to the energizing parts of the music box.

It is quite apparent that when the child is positioned on seat 34, it may cause the music box to play by simply bouncing up and down in his usual manner.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 pertain to a modified form of the nursery seat adapted to be used in conjunction with a standard size toilet I having an apertured seat I02 provided with a hinged seat cover I04. The seat cover is hinged upwardly and rearwardly from the seat I02 to receive the nursery seat I06 thereon. This nursery seat comprises a base I08 having depending front-center detent H0 and rearwardly disposed hooked detents II2, which are adapted to be extended through the aperture of seat I02 whereby the nursery seat is secured in position on the toilet I00 against accidental removal. These detents are so constructed and positioned that the base I08 may be tilted rearwardly and downwardly to first position detents II 2 through the seat aperture to engage seat I02 and then lowered at its front portion to position detent II!) in the apertured seat and against the front inner edge thereof.

The floating seat member H4 is substantially identical with that shown in the preferred form with the exception that in this modified. form a.

with upwardly projecting rubber bumpers I I8 I of suflicient height to prevent the toilet seat moving objectionably close to base I08 to pinch a childs fingers therebetween. A spring powered music box I0 having an operating rod 82 secured at its lower end to a trunnion I serves to cause an energizing of box I0 as the toilet seat and the base I08 are relatively moved toward and from each other. The music box and its method of driving are substantially identical with that shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, with the exception that it can not be provided with a skirt 44 due to the fact that it is usable on a standard toilet seat, which varies in size and shape thus making it necessary to use suitable spacing bumpers H8 which serve to protect the child's hands from pinching between the relatively movable parts.

Reference will now be had to the nursery seat shown in Figs. 9 and 10 where the seat frame comprises a teeter chair made of U-shaped resilient steel frames I22, being positioned with their lower legs I24 disposed horizontally to serve as a base to rest on the floor. The upper legs I26 are spaced apart a suflicient distance to receive a toilet seat I32 therebetween with its front edge secured to the vertical connecting portions I28 of the U-shaped members I22 intermediate legs I24 and I26. The lower legs I24 are secured in spaced apart relation by a spacing bar I30, so that the steel frames I22 are secured in relatively parallel relation so that when the legs I24 rest on the floor the toilet seat I32 may be moved relatively thereto by varying the weight on said seat.

The underside of seat I30 is provided with a pair of grooved runways I34 suitable for receiving the rim 6d of a chamber 66 for adjustment to and from the operative position below the toilet seat I32. The apertured seat member I32 is provided with a seat cover I36 hinged at I 38 to cover the aperture of seat I32 to form a solid seat member.

The toilet seat is provided with a back panel I40 to which is secured a music box I0 of the character set forth in Fig. 4. This music box has a like driving mechanism including a lever arm which is operated to energize the music box I0 by means of an operating rod I42 which connects the free end of lever arm 80 to the leg I24 by pivot I44. The connection of rod I42 to lever arm 80 includes a compressible spring I48 adapted to be of sufiicient strength to normally cause the energizing of the music box and when said music box is fully energized the spring will compress sufliciently to allow relative movement of the parts without injury to the music box.

It is apparent that the species shown and described are generally similar and have many parts in common.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A. nursery seat comprising a stationary base section, a floating seat member mounted on springs carried by said stationary member and movable relative thereto, a music box carried by said floating seat section and having a winding stem, and a resiliently extensible member interconnecting said winding stem with said stationary section, whereby as said floating seat member is moved relative to said stationary base said winding stem will be operated to energize said music box.

2. A nursery seat comprising a rigid base, a seat member disposed above said base, compression springs disposed between said base and seat whereby said seat is resiliently supported for movement relative to said base, a music box mechanism mounted on said seat member and including a spring motor having a winding stem transverse to the direction of relative movement of said seat and base, a ratchet wheel fixed on said stem, a lever pivoted at its inner end on said stem, a dog pivotally connected to said lever and engaging said ratchet wheel to turn said ratchet wheel as said lever pivots away from said base, and a resiliently compressible member interconnecting the outer end of said lever with said base.

3. A nursery seat comprising a rigid base, a seat member disposed above said base, compression springs disposed between said base and seat whereby said seat is resiliently supported for movement relative to said base, a music box mechanism mounted on said seat member and including a spring motor having a winding stem transverse to the direction of relative movement of said seat and base, a ratchet wheel fixed on said stem, a lever pivoted at its inner end on said stem, a dog pivotally connected to said lever and engaging said ratchet wheel to turn said ratchet wheel as said lever pivots away from said base, a rod secured at one end to said base and having its opposite end longitudinally slidable in the outer end portion of said lever, a collar fixed on said rod intermediate said base and said lever, and a compression spring carried on said rod between said collar and said lever.

MECHELL F. HARRIS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 231,040 Heist Aug". 10, 1880 564,199 Housman July 21, 1896 Number 10 Number Name Date Fountain May 9, 1916 Kuczaboroski June 26, 1917 Hess June 26, 1923 Kahler et a1. Oct. 11, 1949 Barnes July 4, 1950 Snyder et al Dec. 26, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Jan. 28, 1869 Germany Mar. 31, 1934 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1890 Switzerland Jan. 27, 1932 

